Aalice.157
net.columbia
utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!mhtsa!research!alice!sjb
Thu Nov 12 20:16:48 1981
fuel cells
Here is the word on the fuel cells.
The membrane that separates the oxygen and hydrogen (that
react to produce electricity and water) in one of them
(there are three) started to fail. If it went completely,
the two would have mixed and would have been potentially
explosive. To avoid that, NASA ordered that cell to be
shut down and the oxygen and hydrogen purged. This means
that it cannot be reactivated during this mission. The
shuttle can fly fine on two fuel cells, but NASA cut the
mission to 54 hours anyway. There is still no word on
the activities planned prior to landing.
These three fuel cells were not the ones that flew on STS-1
in April. They are newer, more ``technologically advanced
[supposedly]'' than those in April's flight.
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